Electronic aerosol provision system

ABSTRACT

An aerosol provision device and related methods and means for generating aerosol from an article including portions of aerosol generating material. The device includes a receptacle for receiving the article including, portions of aerosol generating material, an outlet fluidly coupled to the receptacle, at least one aerosol generating component configured to perform an aerosolization process on one or more of the portions of aerosol generating material when the article is received in the receptacle and control circuitry for controlling the aerosol generating component. The control circuitry is configured to cause the at least one aerosol generating component to generate an amount of aerosol from a respective portion of aerosol generating material based on the distance of the respective portion of aerosol generating material from the outlet.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No.PCT/EP2020/83799, filed Nov. 27, 2020, which claims priority from GBPatent Application No. 1917479.6, filed Nov. 29, 2019, is hereby fullyincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provisionsystems.

BACKGROUND

Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes(e-cigarettes) generally contain a reservoir of a source liquidcontaining a formulation, typically including nicotine, from which anaerosol is generated, e.g. through heat vaporization. An aerosol sourcefor an aerosol provision system may thus comprise a heater having aheating element arranged to receive source liquid from the reservoir,for example through wicking/capillary action. While a user inhales onthe device, electrical power is supplied to the heating element tovaporize source liquid in the vicinity of the heating element togenerate an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices are usuallyprovided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpieceend of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to themouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holesand past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between theaerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn pastthe aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpieceopening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it.The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through themouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Other aerosol provision devices generate aerosol from a solid material,such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. Such devices operate in abroadly similar manner to the liquid-based systems described above, inthat the solid tobacco material is heated to a vaporization temperatureto generate an aerosol which is subsequently inhaled by a user.

In most aerosol provision devices, users seek consistent delivery on apuff-by-puff basis such that each puff tastes the same and/or providesthe same desired effect. However, the devices described above are notalways capable of providing consistent delivery.

Various approaches are described which seek to help address some ofthese issues.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided anaerosol provision device for generating aerosol from an articlecomprising portions of aerosol generating material, the devicecomprising: a receptacle for receiving the article comprising portionsof aerosol generating material; an outlet fluidly coupled to thereceptacle; at least one aerosol generating component configured toperform an aerosolization process on one or more of the portions ofaerosol generating material when the article is received in thereceptacle; and control circuitry for controlling the aerosol generatingcomponent, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the atleast one aerosol generating component to generate an amount of aerosolfrom a respective portion of aerosol generating material based on thedistance of the respective portion of aerosol generating material fromthe outlet.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to generate anamount of aerosol from the respective portion of aerosol generatingmaterial such that, regardless of distance of the respective portion ofaerosol generating material from the outlet, a substantially constantamount of aerosol passes through the outlet.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to cause theaerosol generating component to generate an increasing amount of aerosolfrom the respective portion of aerosol generating material the furtheraway the respective portion is located from the outlet.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to cause theaerosol generating component to generate an amount of aerosol from theportion of aerosol generating material based on a function of thedistance of the portion of the aerosol generating material from theoutlet.

In some examples, the at least one aerosol generating component is atleast one heating element arranged to heat the portions of aerosolgenerating material.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to set theoperational temperature for the at least one heating element based onthe distance of the respective portion of aerosol generating materialfrom the outlet.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to set theoperational temperature of the heating elements closer to the outlet tobe lower than the operational temperature of the heating elementsfurther from the outlet.

In some examples, the control circuitry is configured to set the heatingduration for the at least one heating element based on the distance ofthe respective portion of aerosol generating material from the outlet.

In some examples, the portions of aerosol generating material arearranged in an N×M array with respect to the outlet when received in thereceptacle, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the aerosolgenerating component to generate X different amounts of aerosol, where Xis determined according to:

$X = {\frac{{2N} + 1 + \left( {- 1} \right)^{N + 1}}{4} \times {M.}}$

In some examples, the at least one aerosol generating componentscomprises a plurality of aerosol generating components arranged in anN×M array, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the each ofthe plurality of aerosol generating components to operate at one of Xdifferent power levels, where X is determined according to:

$X = {\frac{{2N} + 1 + \left( {- 1} \right)^{N + 1}}{4} \times {M.}}$

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided anaerosol provision system, the system comprising the aerosol provisiondevice according to the first aspect and further comprising an articlecomprising portions of aerosol generating material.

In some examples, each portion of aerosol generating material issubstantially the same.

In some examples, the properties of the aerosol generating materialdiffer based on the distance from the outlet when the aerosol generatingmaterial is received in the receptacle.

In some examples, the aerosol generating material is an amorphous solid.

According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided amethod of generating aerosol using an aerosol generating device, themethod comprising: determining the distance between a portion of aerosolgenerating material and an outlet on the device through which generatedaerosol can be inhaled by a user; setting an amount of aerosol to begenerated from the portion of the aerosol generating material based onthe determined distance; and generating an aerosol from the portion ofaerosol generating material.

According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided anaerosol provision means for generating aerosol from an articlecomprising portions of aerosol generating material, the meanscomprising: a receiving means for receiving the article comprisingportions of aerosol generating material; an outlet means fluidly coupledto the receiving means; at least one aerosol generating means configuredto perform an aerosolization process on one or more of the portions ofaerosol generating material when the article is received in thereceiving means; and control means for controlling the aerosolgenerating means, wherein the control means is configured to cause theat least one aerosol generating means to generate an amount of aerosolfrom a respective portion of aerosol generating material based on thedistance of the respective portion of aerosol generating material fromthe outlet means.

It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the inventiondescribed above in relation to the first and other aspects of theinvention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with,embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the inventionas appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations describedabove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a schematic representation of an aerosolprovision system comprising an aerosol provision device and a aerosolgenerating article, the device comprising a plurality of heatingelements and the article comprising a plurality of portions of aerosolgenerating material;

FIGS. 2A to 2C are a variety of views from different angles of theaerosol provision article of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is cross-sectional, top-down view of the heating elements of theaerosol provision device of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a top-down view of an exemplary touch sensitive panel foroperating various functions of the aerosol provision system;

FIG. 5 is a reproduction of FIG. 3 further including additional arrowsmarking the distances between heating elements and the outlet of thedevice of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is an example of a cross-section of a schematic representation ofan aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device and aaerosol generating article, the device comprising a plurality ofinduction work coils and the article comprising a plurality of portionsof aerosol generating material and corresponding susceptor portions; and

FIGS. 7A to 7C are a variety of views from different angles of theaerosol provision article of FIG. 6 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments arediscussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of certainexamples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these arenot discussed/described in detail in the interests of brevity. It willthus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methodsdiscussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented inaccordance with any conventional techniques for implementing suchaspects and features.

The present disclosure relates to a “non-combustible” aerosol provisionsystem. A “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where aconstituent aerosolizable material of the aerosol provision system (orcomponent thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitatedelivery of an aerosol to a user. Furthermore, and as is common in thetechnical field, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol”, and related terms suchas “vaporize”, “volatilize” and “aerosolize”, may generally be usedinterchangeably.

In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision system isan electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronicnicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presenceof nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement.Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or“electronic cigarette” is sometimes used but this term may be usedinterchangeably with aerosol (vapor) provision system.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise anon-combustible aerosol provision device and an article (sometimesreferred to as a consumable) for use with the non-combustible aerosolprovision device. However, it is envisaged that articles whichthemselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating componentmay themselves form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.

The article, part or all of which, is intended to be consumed during useby a user. The article may comprise or consist of aerosolizablematerial. The article may comprise one or more other elements, such as afilter or an aerosol modifying substance (e.g. a component to add aflavor to, or otherwise alter the properties of, an aerosol that passesthrough or over the aerosol modifying substance).

Non-combustible aerosol provision systems often, though not always,comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable aerosol provisiondevice and a replaceable article. In some implementations, thenon-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a power source anda controller (or control circuitry). The power source may, for example,be an electric power source, such as a battery or rechargeable battery.In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision devicemay also comprise an aerosol generating component. However, in otherimplementations the article may comprise partially, or entirely, theaerosol generating component.

In some implementations, the aerosol generating component is a heatercapable of interacting with the aerosolizable material so as to releaseone or more volatiles from the aerosolizable material to form anaerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component iscapable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material withoutheating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable ofgenerating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applyingheat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical,pressurization or electrostatic means.

In some implementations, the heater may comprise one or moreelectrically resistive heaters, including for example one or morenichrome resistive heater(s) and/or one or more ceramic heater(s). Theone or more heaters may comprise one or more induction heaters whichincludes an arrangement comprising one or more susceptors which may forma chamber into which an article comprising aerosolizable material isinserted or otherwise located in use. Alternatively or in addition, oneor more susceptors may be provided in the aerosolizable material. Otherheating arrangements may also be used.

The article for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision devicegenerally comprises an aerosolizable material. Aerosolizable material,which also may be referred to herein as aerosol generating material, ismaterial that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated,irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosolizable material may,for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or maynot contain nicotine and/or flavorants flavourants. In the followingdisclosure, the aerosolizable material is described as comprising an“amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a“monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some implementations, theamorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solidmaterial that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In someimplementations, the aerosolizable material may for example comprisefrom about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or 70 wt % of amorphous solid, to about 90wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid. However, it should beappreciated that principles of the present disclosure may be applied toother aerosolizable materials, such as tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, aliquid, such as an e-liquid, etc.

As appropriate, the aerosolizable material may comprise any one or moreof: an active constituent, a carrier constituent, a flavor, and one ormore other functional constituents.

The active constituent as used herein may be a physiologically activematerial, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance aphysiological response. The active constituent may for example beselected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The activeconstituent may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. Theactive constituent may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine,theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, orconstituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The activeconstituent may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives orextracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical. As noted herein, theactive constituent may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives orextracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material or the amorphous solidcomprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the groupconsisting of: cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA),cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC),cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin(CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM) and cannabielsoin (CBE),cannabicitran (CBT).

The aerosolizable material or the amorphous solid may comprise one ormore cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting ofcannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The aerosolizable material or the amorphous solid may comprisecannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosolizable material or the amorphous solid may comprise nicotineand cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosolizable material or the amorphous solid may comprise nicotine,cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

In some embodiments, the active constituent comprises nicotine. In someembodiments, the active constituent comprises caffeine, melatonin orvitamin B12.

As noted herein, the active constituent may comprise or be derived fromone or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof.As used herein, the term “botanical” includes any material derived fromplants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers,stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like.Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturallyexisting in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be inthe form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles,granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Examplebotanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis,fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax,ginger, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice),matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea orblack tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bayleaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary,saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla,wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro,bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace,damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena,tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca,ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combinationthereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties:Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Menthapiperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa,Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata,Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens

In some embodiments, the active constituent comprises or is derived fromone or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereofand the botanical is tobacco.

In some embodiments, the active constituent comprises or derived fromone or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereofand the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa andhemp.

In some embodiments, the active constituent comprises or derived fromone or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereofand the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

In certain embodiments, the aerosolizable material or the amorphoussolid comprises a gelling agent. The gelling agent may comprise one ormore compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosicgelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from thegroup consisting of: hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, celluloseacetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetatepropionate (CAP) and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more ofhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or morenon-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar,xanthan gum, gum Arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan,starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments,the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.

The aerosolizable material or the amorphous solid may comprise an acid.The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acidmay be at least one of a monoprotic acid, a diprotic acid and atriprotic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may contain at leastone carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may beat least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylicacid, tricarboxylic acid and keto acid. In some such embodiments, theacid may be an alpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid,lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid,levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid,benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic acid.

Suitably the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid isbenzoic acid. In other embodiments the acid may be an inorganic acid. Insome of these embodiments the acid may be a mineral acid. In some suchembodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulphuric acid,hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments,the acid is levulinic acid.

In certain embodiments, the aerosolizable material or the amorphoussolid comprises a gelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agentand/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active substance and an acid.

In some implementations, the aerosolizable material comprises a flavor(or flavorant).

As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materialswhich, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desiredtaste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adultconsumers. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials,botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, orcombinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice),hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile,fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed(anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb,wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange,mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape,durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits,Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint,peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg,sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honeyessence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom,cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage,fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil fromany species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa,lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate,orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper,elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary,saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle,cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm,lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol,camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers,sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugarsubstitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame,saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol,or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll,minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may beimitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They maybe in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid suchas a powder, or gas.

In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint and/orpeppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor componentsof cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In someembodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, theflavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In someembodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted fromcannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavor may comprise a sensate, which isintended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usuallychemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranialnerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or tastenerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling,tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but isnot limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent maybe, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

The carrier constituent may comprise one or more constituents capable offorming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the carrier constituent maycomprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol,diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol,1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyllaurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetinmixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, laurylacetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

In some embodiments, the carrier constituent comprises one or morepolyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol,1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such asglycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-di-or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyltetradecanedioate.

The one or more other functional constituents may comprise one or moreof pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers,stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

The aerosolizable material may be present on or in a carrier support (orcarrier component) to form a substrate. The carrier support may, forexample, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard,reconstituted aerosolizable material, a plastics material, a ceramicmaterial, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy.

In some implementations, the article for use with the non-combustibleaerosol provision device may comprise aerosolizable material or an areafor receiving aerosolizable material. In some implementations, thearticle for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device maycomprise a mouthpiece, or alternatively the non-combustible aerosolprovision device may comprise a mouthpiece which communicates with thearticle. The area for receiving aerosolizable material may be a storagearea for storing aerosolizable material. For example, the storage areamay be a reservoir.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation ofan aerosol provision system 1 in accordance with certain embodiments ofthe disclosure. The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two maincomponents, namely an aerosol provision device 2 and an aerosolgenerating article 4.

The aerosol provision device 2 comprises an outer housing 21, a powersource 22, control circuitry 23, a plurality of aerosol generatingcomponents 24, a receptacle 25, a mouthpiece end 26, an air inlet 27, anair outlet 28, a touch-sensitive panel 29, an inhalation sensor 30, andan end of use indicator 31.

The outer housing 21 may be formed from any suitable material, forexample a plastics material. The outer housing 21 is arranged such thatthe power source 22, control circuitry 23, aerosol generating components24, receptacle 25 and inhalation sensor 30 are located within the outerhousing 21. The outer housing 21 also defines the air inlet 27 and airoutlet 28, described in more detail below. The touch sensitive panel 29and end of use indicator are located on the exterior of the outerhousing 21.

The outer housing 21 further includes a mouthpiece end 26. The outerhousing 21 and mouthpiece end 26 are formed as a single component (thatis, the mouthpiece end 26 forms a part of the outer housing 21). Themouthpiece end 26 is defined as a region of the outer housing 21 whichincludes the air outlet 28 and is shaped in such a way that a user maycomfortably place their lips around the mouthpiece end 26 to engage withair outlet 28. In FIG. 1 , the thickness of the outer housing 21decreases towards the air outlet 28 to provide a relatively thinnerportion of the device 2 which may be more easily accommodated by thelips of a user. In other implementations, however, the mouthpiece end 26may be a removable component that is separate from but able to becoupled to the outer housing 21, and may be removed for cleaning and/orreplacement with another mouthpiece end 26.

The power source 22 is configured to provide operating power to theaerosol provision device 2. The power source 22 may be any suitablepower source, such as a battery. For example, the power source 22 maycomprise a rechargeable battery, such as a Lithium Ion battery. Thepower source 22 may be removable or form an integrated part of theaerosol provision device 2. In some implementations, the power source 22may be recharged through connection of the device 2 to an external powersupply (such as mains power) through an associated connection port, suchas a USB port (not shown) or via a suitable wireless receiver (notshown).

The control circuitry 23 is suitably configured/programmed to controlthe operation of the aerosol provision device to provide certainoperating functions of aerosol provision device 2. The control circuitry23 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitryelements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provisiondevices' operation. For example, the control circuitry 23 may comprise alogical sub-unit for controlling the recharging of the power source 22.Additionally, the control circuitry 23 may comprise a logical sub-unitfor communication, e.g., to facilitate data transfer from or to thedevice 2. However, a primary function of the control circuitry 23 is tocontrol the aerosolization of aerosol generating material, as describedin more detail below. It will be appreciated the functionality of thecontrol circuitry 23 can be provided in various different ways, forexample using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s)and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integratedcircuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide thedesired functionality. The control circuitry 23 is connected to thepower supply 23 and receives power from the power source 22 and may beconfigured to distribute or control the power supply to other componentsof the aerosol provision device 2.

In the described implementation, the aerosol provision device 2 furthercomprises a receptacle 25 which is arranged to receive an aerosolgenerating article 4.

The aerosol generating article 4 comprises a carrier component 42 andaerosol generating material 44. The aerosol generating article 4 isshown in more detail in FIGS. 2A to 2C. FIG. 2A is a top-down view ofthe article 4, FIG. 2B is an end-on view along the longitudinal (length)axis of the article 4, and FIG. 2C is a side-on view along the widthaxis of the article 4.

The article 4 comprises a carrier component 42 which in thisimplementation is formed of card. The carrier component 42 forms themajority of the article 4, and acts as a base for the aerosol generatingmaterial 44 to be deposited on.

The carrier component 42 is broadly cuboidal in shape has a length 1, awidth w and a thickness t_(c) as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C. By way of aconcrete example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be 30 to 80mm, the width may be 7 to 25 mm, and the thickness may be between 0.2 to1 mm. However, it should be appreciated that the above are exemplarydimensions of the carrier component 42, and in other implementations thecarrier component 42 may have different dimensions as appropriate. Insome implementations, the carrier component 42 may comprise one or moreprotrusions extending in the length and/or width directions of thecarrier component 42 to help facilitate handling of the article 4 by theuser.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the article 4 comprises aplurality of discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44disposed on a surface of the carrier component 42. More specifically,the article 4 comprises six discrete portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 44, labelled 44 a to 44 f, disposed in a two by three array.However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations agreater or lesser number of discrete portions may be provided, and/orthe portions may be disposed in a different array (e.g., a one by sixarray). In the example shown, the aerosol generating material 44 isdisposed at discrete, separate locations on a single surface of thecomponent carrier 42. The discrete portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 44 are shown as having a circular footprint, although it shouldbe appreciated that the discrete portions of aerosol generating material44 may take any other footprint, such as square or rectangular, asappropriate. The discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44have a diameter d and a thickness t_(a) as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C. Thethickness ta may take any suitable value, for example the thickness tamay be in the range of 50 μm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiment, thethickness ta is from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or about 50 μm toabout 100 μm, or about 60 μm to about 90 μm, suitably about 77 μm. Inother embodiments, the thickness ta may be greater than 200 μm, e.g.,from about 50 μm to about 400 μm, or to about 1 mm, or to about 1.5 mm.

The discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 are separatefrom one another such that each of the discrete portions may beenergized (e.g., heated) individually/selectively to produce an aerosol.In some implementations, the portions of aerosol generating material 44may have a mass no greater than 20 mg, such that the amount of materialto be aerosolized by a given aerosol generating component 24 at any onetime is relatively low. For example, the mass per portion may be equalto or lower than 20 mg, or equal to or lower than 10 mg, or equal to orlower than 5 mg. Of course, it should be appreciated that the total massof the article 4 may be greater than 20 mg.

In the described implementation, the aerosol generating material 44 isan amorphous solid. Generally, the amorphous solid may comprise agelling agent (sometimes referred to as a binder) and an aerosolgenerating agent (which might comprise glycerol, for example).Optionally, the aerosol generating material may comprise one or more ofthe following: an active substance (which may include a tobaccoextract), a flavorant, an acid, and a filler. Other components may alsobe present as desired. Suitable active substances, flavorants, acids andfillers are described above in relation to the aerosolizable material.

Thus the aerosol generating agent may comprise one or more of glycerol,propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethyleneglycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethylvanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate,triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate,tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylenecarbonate.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent comprises one or morepolyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol,1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such asglycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-di-orpolycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyltetradecanedioate.

The gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selected fromcellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum,acacia gum and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from thegroup consisting of: hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, celluloseacetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetatepropionate (CAP) and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more ofhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or morenon-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar,xanthan gum, gum Arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan,starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments,the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise an acid. The acid may be anorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least oneof a monoprotic acid, a diprotic acid and a triprotic acid. In some suchembodiments, the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functionalgroup. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of analpha-hydroxy acid, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylicacid and keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be analpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid,lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid,levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid,benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic acid.

Suitably the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid isbenzoic acid. In other embodiments the acid may be an inorganic acid. Insome of these embodiments the acid may be a mineral acid. In some suchembodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulphuric acid,hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments,the acid is levulinic acid.

In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises agelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agent and/or anon-cellulosic gelling agent, an active substance and an acid.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises one ormore cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of:cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolicacid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol(CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV),tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin(CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM)and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT).

The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more cannabinoidcompounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) andTHC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The aerosol-generating material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).

The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine and cannabidiol(CBD).

The aerosol-generating material may comprise nicotine, cannabidiol(CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

An amorphous solid aerosolizable material offers some advantages overother types of aerosolizable materials commonly found in some electronicaerosol provision devices. For example, compared to electronic aerosolprovision devices which aerosolize a liquid aerosolizable material, thepotential for the amorphous solid to leak or otherwise flow from alocation at which the amorphous solid is stored is greatly reduced. Thismeans aerosol provision devices or articles may be more cheaplymanufactured as the components do not necessarily require the sameliquid-tight seals or the like to be used.

Compared to electronic aerosol provision devices which aerosolize asolid aerosolizable material, e.g., tobacco, a comparably lower mass ofamorphous solid material can be aerosolized to generate an equivalentamount of aerosol (or to provide an equivalent amount of a constituentin the aerosol, e.g., nicotine). This is partially due to the fact thatan amorphous solid can be tailored to not include unsuitableconstituents that might be found in other solid aerosolizable materials(e.g., cellulosic material in tobacco, for example). For example, insome implementations, the mass per portion of amorphous solid is nogreater than 20 mg, or no greater than 10 mg, or no greater than 5 mg.Accordingly, the aerosol provision device can supply relatively lesspower to the aerosol generating component and/or the aerosol generatingcomponent can be comparably smaller to generate a similar aerosol, thusmeaning the energy requirements for the aerosol provision device may bereduced.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises tobacco extract. Inthese embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the followingcomposition (by Dry Weight Basis, DWB): gelling agent (preferablycomprising alginate) in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 60 wt %,or about 10 wt % to 30 wt %, or about 15 wt % to about 25 wt %; tobaccoextract in an amount of from about 10 wt % to about 60 wt %, or fromabout 40 wt % to 55 wt %, or from about 45 wt % to about 50 wt %;aerosol generating agent (preferably comprising glycerol) in an amountof from about 5 wt % to about 60 wt %, or from about 20 wt % to about 40wt %, or from about 25 wt % to about 35 wt % (DWB). The tobacco extractmay be from a single variety of tobacco or a blend of extracts fromdifferent varieties of tobacco. Such amorphous solids may be referred toas “tobacco amorphous solids”, and may be designed to deliver atobacco-like experience when aerosolized.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises about 20 wt % alginategelling agent, about 48 wt % Virginia tobacco extract and about 32 wt %glycerol (DWB).

The amorphous solid of these embodiments may have any suitable watercontent. For example, the amorphous solid may have a water content offrom about 5 wt % to about 15 wt %, or from about 7 wt % to about 13 wt%, or about 10 wt %.

Suitably, in any of these embodiments, the amorphous solid has athickness t_(a) of from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or about 50 μm toabout 100 μm, or about 60 μm to about 90 μm, suitably about 77 μm.

In some implementations, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60 wt % ofa gelling agent; and 5-80 wt % of an aerosol generating agent, whereinthese weights are calculated on a dry weight basis. Such amorphoussolids may contain no flavor, no acid and no active substance. Suchamorphous solids may be referred to as “aerosol generating agent rich”or “aerosol generating agent amorphous solids”. More generally, this isan example of an aerosol generating agent rich aerosol generatingmaterial which, as the name suggests, is a portion of aerosol generatingmaterial which is designed to deliver aerosol generating agent whenaerosolized.

In these implementations, the amorphous solid may have the followingcomposition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt % toabout 40 wt %, or about 10 wt % to 30 wt %, or about 15 wt % to about 25wt %; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt % toabout 50 wt %, or from about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, or from about 25wt % to about 35 wt % (DWB).

In some other implementations, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60wt % of a gelling agent; 5-80 wt % of an aerosol generating agent; and1-60 wt % of a flavor, wherein these weights are calculated on a dryweight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain flavor, but no activesubstance or acid. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as“flavorant rich” or “flavor amorphous solids”. More generally, this isan example of a flavorant rich aerosol generating material which, as thename suggests, is a portion of aerosol generating material which isdesigned to deliver flavorant when aerosolized.

In these implementations, the amorphous solid may have the followingcomposition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt % toabout 40 wt %, or about 10 wt % to 30 wt %, or about 15 wt % to about 25wt %; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt % toabout 50 wt %, or from about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, or from about 25wt % to about 35 wt % (DWB), flavor in an amount of from about 30 wt %to about 60 wt %, or from about 40 wt % to 55 wt %, or from about 45 wt% to about 50 wt %.

In some other implementations, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60wt % of a gelling agent; 5-80 wt % of an aerosol generating agent; and5-60 wt % of at least one active substance, wherein these weights arecalculated on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain anactive substance, but no flavor or acid. Such amorphous solids may bereferred to as “active substance rich” or “active substance amorphoussolids”. For example, in one implementation, the active substance may benicotine, and as such an amorphous solid as described above comprisingnicotine may be referred to as a “nicotine amorphous solid”. Moregenerally, this is an example of an active substance rich aerosolgenerating material which, as the name suggests, is a portion of aerosolgenerating material which is designed to deliver an active substancewhen aerosolized.

In these implementations, amorphous solid may have the followingcomposition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt % toabout 40 wt %, or about 10 wt % to 30 wt %, or about 15 wt % to about 25wt %; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt % toabout 50 wt %, or from about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, or from about 25wt % to about 35 wt % (DWB), active substance in an amount of from about30 wt % to about 60 wt %, or from about 40 wt % to 55 wt %, or fromabout 45 wt % to about 50 wt %.

In some other implementations, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60wt % of a gelling agent; 5-80 wt % of an aerosol generating agent; and0.1-10 wt % of an acid, wherein these weights are calculated on a dryweight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain acid, but no activesubstance and flavorant. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as“acid rich” or “acid amorphous solids”. More generally, this is anexample of an acid rich aerosol generating material which, as the namesuggests, is a portion of aerosol generating material which is designedto deliver an acid when aerosolized.

In these implementations, the amorphous solid may have the followingcomposition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of from about 5 wt % toabout 40 wt %, or about 10 wt % to 30 wt %, or about 15 wt % to about 25wt %; aerosol generating agent in an amount of from about 10 wt % toabout 50 wt %, or from about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, or from about 25wt % to about 35 wt % (DWB), acid in an amount of from about 0.1 wt % toabout 8 wt %, or from about 0.5 wt % to 7 wt %, or from about 1 wt % toabout 5 wt %, or form about 1 wt % to about 3 wt %.

In some implementations, the amorphous solid may comprise a colorant.The addition of a colorant may alter the visual appearance of theamorphous solid. The presence of colorant in the amorphous solid mayenhance the visual appearance of the amorphous solid and theaerosol-generating material. By adding a colorant to the amorphoussolid, the amorphous solid may be color-matched to other components ofthe aerosol-generating material or to other components of an articlecomprising the amorphous solid.

In some implementations, a variety of colorants may be used depending onthe desired color of the amorphous solid. The color of amorphous solidmay be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown or black.Other colors are also envisaged. Natural or synthetic colorants, such asnatural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colorants and pharmaceutical-gradecolorants may be used. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel,which may confer the amorphous solid with a brown appearance. In suchembodiments, the color of the amorphous solid may be similar to thecolor of other components (such as tobacco material) in anaerosol-generating material comprising the amorphous solid. In someembodiments, the addition of a colorant to the amorphous solid rendersit visually indistinguishable from other components in theaerosol-generating material.

In some implementations, the colorant may be incorporated during theformation of the amorphous solid (e.g. when forming a slurry comprisingthe materials that form the amorphous solid) or it may be applied to theamorphous solid after its formation (e.g. by spraying it onto theamorphous solid).

The article 4 may comprise a plurality of portions of aerosol generatingmaterial all formed form the same aerosol generating material (e.g., oneof the amorphous solids described above). Alternatively, the article 4may comprise a plurality of portions of aerosol generating material 44where at least two portions are formed from different aerosol generatingmaterial (e.g., one of the amorphous solids described above).

The receptacle 25 is suitable sized to removably receive the article 4therein. Although not shown, the device 2 may comprise a hinged door orremovable part of the outer housing 21 to permit access to thereceptacle 25 such that a user may insert and/or remove the article 4from the receptacle 25. The hinged door or removable part of the outerhousing 21 may also act to retain the article 4 within the receptacle 25when closed. When the aerosol generating article 4 is exhausted or theuser simply wishes to switch to a different aerosol generating article4, the aerosol generating article 4 may be removed from the aerosolprovision device 2 and a replacement aerosol generating article 4positioned in the receptacle 25 in its place. Alternatively, the device2 may include a permanent opening that communicates with the receptacle25 and through which the article 4 can be inserted into the receptacle25. In such implementations, a retaining mechanism for retaining thearticle 4 within the receptacle 25 of the device 2 may be provided.

As seen in FIG. 1 , the device 2 comprises a number of aerosolgenerating components 24. In the described implementation, the aerosolgenerating components 24 are heating elements 24, and more specificallyresistive heating elements 24. Resistive heating elements 24 receive anelectrical current and convert the electrical energy into heat. Theresistive heating elements 24 may be formed from, or comprise, anysuitable resistive heating material, such as NiChrome (Ni20Cr80), whichgenerates heat upon receiving an electrical current. In oneimplementation, the heating elements 24 may comprise an electricallyinsulating substrate on which resistive tracks are disposed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional, top-down view of the aerosol provisiondevice 2 showing the arrangement of the heating elements 24 in moredetail. In FIGS. 1 and 3 , the heating elements 24 are positioned suchthat a surface of the heating element 24 forms a part of the surface ofthe receptacle 25. That is, an outer surface of the heating elements 24is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle. More specifically,the outer surface of the heating element 24 that is flush with the innersurface of the receptacle 25 is a surface of the heating element 24 thatis heated (i.e., its temperature increases) when an electrical currentis passed through the heating element 24.

The heating elements 24 are arranged such that, when the article 4 isreceived in the receptacle 25, each heating element 24 aligns with acorresponding discrete portion of aerosol generating material 44. Hence,in this example, six heating elements 24 are arranged in a two by threearray broadly corresponding to the arrangement of the two by three arrayof the six discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 shown inFIGS. 2A to 2C. However, as discussed above, the number of heatingelements 24 may be different in different implementations, for examplethere may be 8, 10, 12, 14, etc. heating elements 24. In someimplementations, the number of heating elements 24 is greater than orequal to six but no greater than 20.

More specifically, the heating elements 24 are labelled 24 a to 24 f inFIG. 3 , and it should be appreciated that each heating element 24 isarranged to align with a corresponding portion of aerosol generatingmaterial 44 as denoted by the corresponding letter following thereferences 24/44. Accordingly, each of the heating elements 24 can beindividually activated to heat a corresponding portion of aerosolgenerating material 44.

While the heating elements 24 are shown flush with the inner surface ofthe receptacle 25, in other implementations the heating elements 24 mayprotrude into the receptacle 25. In either case, the article 4 contactsthe surfaces of the heating elements 24 when present in the receptacle25 such that heat generated by the heating elements 24 is conducted tothe aerosol generating material 44 through the carrier component 42.

In some implementations, to improve the heat-transfer efficiency, thereceptacle may comprise components which apply a force to the surface ofthe carrier component 42 so as to press the carrier component 42 ontothe heater elements 24, thereby increasing the efficiency of heattransfer via conduction to the aerosol generating material 44.Additionally or alternatively, the heater elements 24 may be configuredto move in the direction towards/away from the article 4, and may bepressed into the surface of carrier component 42 that does not comprisethe aerosol generating material 44.

In use, the device 2 (and more specifically the control circuitry 23) isconfigured to deliver power to the heating elements 24 in response to auser input. Broadly speaking, the control circuitry 23 is configured toselectively apply power to the heating elements 24 to subsequently heatthe corresponding portions of aerosol generating material 44 to generateaerosol. When a user inhales on the device 2 (i.e., inhales atmouthpiece end 26), air is drawn into the device 2 through air inlet 27,into the receptacle 25 where it mixes with the aerosol generated byheating the aerosol generating material 44, and then to the user's mouthvia air outlet 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user throughmouthpiece end 26 and air outlet 28.

The device 2 of FIG. 1 includes a touch-sensitive panel 29 and aninhalation sensor 30. Collectively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 andinhalation sensor 30 act as mechanisms for a receiving a user input tocause the generation of aerosol, and thus may more broadly be referredto as user input mechanisms. The received user input may be said to beindicative of a user's desire to generate aerosol.

The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor and can beoperated by a user of the device 2 placing their finger or anothersuitably conductive object (for example a stylus) on the touch-sensitivepanel. In the described implementation, the touch-sensitive panelincludes a region which can be pressed by a user to start aerosolgeneration. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to receivesignaling from the touch-sensitive panel 29 and to use this signaling todetermine if a user is pressing (i.e. activating) the region of thetouch-sensitive panel 29. If the control circuitry 23 receives thissignaling, then the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply powerfrom the power source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24.Power may be supplied for a predetermined time period (for example,three seconds) from the moment a touch is detected, or in response tothe length of time the touch is detected for. In other implementations,the touch sensitive panel 29 may be replaced by a user actuatable buttonor the like.

The inhalation sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or microphone or thelike configured to detect a drop in pressure or a flow of air caused bythe user inhaling on the device 2. The inhalation sensor 30 is locatedin fluid communication with the air flow pathway (that is, in fluidcommunication with the air flow path between inlet 27 and outlet 28). Ina similar manner as described above, the control circuitry 23 may beconfigured to receive signaling from the inhalation sensor and to usethis signaling to determine if a user is inhaling on the aerosolprovision system 1. If the control circuitry 23 receives this signaling,then the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power from thepower source 22 to one or more of the heating elements 24. Power may besupplied for a predetermined time period (for example, three seconds)from the moment inhalation is detected, or in response to the length oftime the inhalation is detected for.

In the described example, both the touch-sensitive panel 29 andinhalation sensor 30 detect the user's desire to begin generatingaerosol for inhalation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured toonly supply power to the heating element 24 when signaling from both thetouch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 are detected. This mayhelp prevent inadvertent activation of the heating elements 24 fromaccidental activation of one of the user input mechanisms. However, inother implementations, the aerosol provision system 1 may have only oneof a touch sensitive panel 29 and an inhalation sensor 30.

These aspects of the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 (i.e.puff detection and touch detection) may in themselves be performed inaccordance with established techniques (for example using conventionalinhalation sensor and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques andusing conventional touch sensor and touch sensor signal processingtechniques).

In some implementations, in response to detecting the signaling fromeither one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to sequentially supply powerto each of the individual heating elements 24.

More specifically, the control circuitry 23 is configured tosequentially supply power to each of the individual heating elements 23in response to a sequence of detections of the signaling received fromeither one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor30. For example, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to supplypower to a first heating element 24 of the plurality of heating elements24 when the signaling is first detected (e.g., from when the device 2 isfirst switched on). When the signaling stops, or in response to thepredetermined time from the signaling being detected elapsing, thecontrol circuitry 23 registers that the first heating element 24 hasbeen activated (and thus the corresponding discrete portion of aerosolgenerating material 44 has been heated). The control circuitry 23determines that in response to receiving subsequent signaling fromeither one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor30 that a second heating element 24 is to be activated. Accordingly,when the signaling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel29 and inhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23, thecontrol circuitry 23 activates the second heating element 24. Thisprocess is repeated for remaining heating elements 24, such that allheating elements 24 are sequentially activated.

Effectively, this operation means that for each inhalation a differentone of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material 44 is heatedand an aerosol generated therefrom. In other words, a single discreteportion of aerosol generating material is heated per user inhalation.

In other implementations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured toactivate the first heating element 24 a plurality of times (e.g., two)before determining that the second heating element 24 should beactivated in response to subsequent signaling from either one or both ofthe touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30, or activates eachof the plurality of heating elements 24 once and when all heatingelements 24 have be activated once, detection of subsequent signalingcauses the heating elements to be sequentially activated a second time.

Such sequential activations may be dubbed “a sequential activationmode”, which is primarily designed to deliver a consistent aerosol perinhalation (which may be measured in terms of total aerosol generated,or a total constituent delivered, for example). Hence, this mode may bemost effective when each portion of the aerosol generating material 44of the aerosol generating article 4 is substantially identical; that is,portions 44 a to 44 f are formed of the same material.

In some other implementations, in response to detecting the signalingfrom either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalationsensor 30, the control circuitry 23 is configured to supply power to oneor more of the heating elements 24 simultaneously.

In such implementations, the control circuitry 23 may be configured tosupply power to selected ones of the heating elements 24 in response toa predetermined configuration. The predetermined configuration may be aconfiguration selected or determined by a user. For example, thetouch-sensitive panel 29 may comprise a region that permits the user toindividually select which of the heating elements 24 to activate whensignaling from either one or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 andinhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23. In someimplementations, the user may also be able to set the power level foreach heating element 24 to be supplied to heating element 24 in responseto receiving the signaling.

FIG. 4 is a top-down view of the touch-sensitive panel 29 in accordancewith such implementations. FIG. 4 schematically shows outer housing 21and touch-sensitive panel 29 as described previously. Thetouch-sensitive panel 29 comprises six regions 29 a to 29 f whichcorrespond to each of the six heating elements 24, and a region 29 gwhich corresponds to the region for indicating that a user wishes tostart inhalation or generating aerosol as described previously. The sixregions 29 a to 29 f each correspond to touch-sensitive regions whichcan be touched by a user to control the power delivery to each of thesix corresponding heating elements 24. In the described implementation,each heating element 24 can have multiple states, e.g., an off state inwhich no power is supplied to the heating element 24, a low power statein which a first level of power is supplied to the heating element 24,and a high power state in which a second level of power is supplied tothe heating element 24 where the second level of power is greater thanthe first level of power. However, in other implementations, fewer orgreater states may be available to the heating elements 24. For example,each heating element 24 may have an off state in which no power issupplied to the heating element 24 and an on state in which power issupplied to the heating element 24.

Accordingly, a user can set which heating elements 24 (and subsequentlywhich portions of aerosol generating material 44) are to be heated (andoptionally to what extent they are to be heated) by interacting with thetouch-sensitive panel 29 in advance of generating aerosol. For example,the user may repeatedly tap the regions 29 a to 29 f to cycle throughthe different states (e.g., off, low power, high power, off, etc.).Alternatively, the user may press and hold the region 29 a to 29 f tocycle through the different states, where the duration of the pressdetermines the state.

The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be provided with one or more indicatorsfor each of the respective regions 29 a to 29 f to indicate which statethe heating element 24 is currently in. For example, the touch-sensitivepanel may comprise one or more LEDs or similar illuminating elements,and the intensity of the LEDs signifies the current state of the heatingelement 24. Alternatively, a colored LED or similar illuminating elementmay be provided and the color indicates the current state.Alternatively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may comprise a displayelement (e.g., which may underlie a transparent touch-sensitive panel 29or be provided adjacent to the regions 29 a to 29 f of thetouch-sensitive panel 29) which displays the current state of theheating element 24.

When the user has set the configuration for the heating elements 24, inresponse to detecting the signaling from either one or both of thetouch-sensitive panel 29 (and more particularly region 29 g oftouch-sensitive panel 29) and inhalation sensor 30, the controlcircuitry 23 is configured to supply power to the selected heatingelements 24 in accordance with the pre-set configuration.

Accordingly, such simultaneous heating element 24 activations may bedubbed “a simultaneous activation mode”, which is primarily designed todeliver a customizable aerosol from a given article 4, with theintention of allowing a user to customize their experience on asession-by-session or even puff-by-puff basis. Hence, this mode may bemost effective when portions of the aerosol generating material 44 ofthe aerosol generating article 4 are different from one another. Forexample, portions 44 a and 44 b are formed of one material, portions 44c and 44 d are formed of a different material, etc. Accordingly, withthis mode of operation, the user may select which portions to aerosolizeat any given moment and thus which combinations of aerosols to beprovided with.

In both of the simultaneous and sequential activation modes, the controlcircuitry 23 may be configured to generate an alert signal whichsignifies the end of use of the article 4, for example when each of theheating elements 24 has been sequentially activated a predeterminednumber of times, or when a given heating element 24 has been activated apredetermined number of times and/or for a given cumulative activationtime and/or with a given cumulative activation power. In FIG. 1 , thedevice 2 includes an end of use indicator 31 which in thisimplementation is an LED. However, in other implementations, the end ofuse indicator 31 may comprise any mechanism which is capable ofsupplying an alert signal to a user; that is, the end of use indicator31 may be an optical element to deliver an optical signal, a soundgenerator to deliver an aural signal, and/or a vibrator to deliver ahaptic signal. In some implementations, the indicator 31 may be combinedor otherwise provided by the touch-sensitive panel (e.g., if thetouch-sensitive panel includes a display element). The device 2 mayprevent subsequent activation of the device 2 when the alert signal isbeing output. The alert signal may be switched off, and the controlcircuitry 23 reset, when the user replaces the article 4 and/or switchesoff the alert signal via a manual means such as a button (not shown).

In more detail, in implementations where the sequential mode ofactivation is employed, the control circuitry 23 may be configured tocount the number of times signaling from either one or both of thetouch-sensitive panel 29 and inhalation sensor 30 is received during aperiod of usage, and once the count reaches a predetermined number, thearticle 4 is determined to reach the end of its life. For example, foran article 4 comprising six discrete portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 44, the predetermined number may be six, twelve, eighteen, etc.depending on the exact implementation at hand.

In implementations where the simultaneous mode of activation isemployed, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the numberof times one or each of the discrete portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 44 is heated. For example, the control circuitry 23 may counthow many times a nicotine containing portion is heated, and when thatreaches a predetermined number, determine an end of life of the article4. Alternatively, the control circuitry 23 may be configured toseparately count for each discrete portion of aerosol generatingmaterial 44 when that portion has been heated. Each portion may beattributed with the same or a different predetermined number and whenany one of the counts for each of the portions of aerosol generatingmaterial reaches the predetermined number, the control circuitry 23determines an end of life of the article 4.

In either of the implementations, the control circuitry 23 may alsofactor in the length of time the portion of aerosol generating materialhas been heated for and/or the temperature to which the portion of theaerosol generating material has been heated. In this regard, rather thancounting discrete activations, the control circuitry 23 may beconfigured to calculate a cumulative parameter indicative of the heatingconditions experienced by each of the portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 44. The parameter may be a cumulative time, for example,whereby the temperature to which the material is used to adjust thelength of time added to the cumulative time. For example, a portionheated at 200° C. for three seconds may contribute three seconds to thecumulative time, whereas a portion heated at 250° C. for three secondsmay contribute four and a half seconds to the cumulative time.

The above techniques for determining the end of life of the article 4should not be understood as an exhaustive list of ways of determiningthe end of life of the article 4, and in fact any other suitable way maybe employed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

In the implementation of the aerosol provision system 1 described above,a plurality of (discrete) portions of aerosol generating material 44 areprovided which can be selectively aerosolized using the aerosolgenerating components 24. Such aerosol provision systems 1 offeradvantages over other systems which are designed to heat a larger bulkquantity of material. In particular, for a given inhalation, only theselected portion (or portions) of aerosol generating material areaerosolized leading to a more energy efficient system overall.

In heated systems, several parameters affect the overall effectivenessof this system at delivering a sufficient amount of aerosol to a user ona per puff basis. On the one hand, the thickness of the aerosolgenerating material is important as this influences how quickly theaerosol generating material reaches an operational temperature (andsubsequently generates aerosol). This may be important for severalreasons, but may lead to more efficient use of energy from the powersource 22 as the heating element may not need to be active for as longcompared with heating a thicker portion of material. On the other hand,the total mass of the aerosol generating material that is heated affectsthe total amount of aerosol that can be generated, and subsequentlydelivered to the user. In addition, the temperature that the aerosolgenerating material is heated too may affect both how quickly theaerosol generating material reaches operational temperature and theamount of aerosol that is generated.

Amorphous solids (e.g., as described above) are particularly suited tothe above application, in part because the amorphous solids are formedfrom selected ingredients/constituents and so can be engineered suchthat a relatively high proportion of the mass is the useful (ordeliverable) constituents (e.g., nicotine and glycerol, for example). Assuch, amorphous solids may produce a relatively high proportion ofaerosol from a given mass as compared to some other aerosol generatingmaterials (e.g., tobacco), meaning that relatively smaller portions ofamorphous solid can output a comparable amount of aerosol. In addition,amorphous solids do not tend to easily flow (if at all) which meansproblems around leakage when using a liquid aerosol generating material,for example, are largely mitigated.

In accordance with the present disclosure however, the inventors havefound that in some instances devices 2 which have an array of aerosolgenerating components 24 (such as heating elements 24) designed to heatdifferent ones of the portions of aerosol generating material togenerate aerosol on a puff-by-puff basis can, in some instances, lead toinconsistencies in the amount of aerosol being delivered to the user perpuff even if the heating conditions are broadly the same.

This is thought to be in part down to the fact that some of the portionsof aerosol generating material 44 are provided at relatively differentspatial distances relative to the opening 28 of the mouthpiece 26 suchthat, when the aerosol is first formed at a location adjacent to theportion of aerosol generating material, the distance by which thataerosol has to travel may vary.

FIG. 5 is a reproduction of FIG. 3 but additionally includes two arrowslabelled D1 and D2. D1 extends from heating element 24 a to the outlet28 of the mouthpiece end 26, while D2 extends from heating element 24 fto the outlet 28. As should be appreciated, the arrows D1 and D2 arerepresentations of the distances along which the aerosol generated usingthe respective heating elements 24 a and 24 f by respective portions ofaerosol generating material 44 a and 44 f.

Generally, as a hot aerosol travels it cools and condenses. Hence, thegreater the distance along which an aerosol must travel, the greaterchance the aerosol has to cool and condense. The condensate may also bedeposited on surfaces it encounters as it travels, e.g., such assurfaces of the receptacle 25 in the example of FIG. 5 . There is muchgreater chance of deposition the greater the distance the aerosoltravels, in part due to the increased chance of encountering a surfaceand also due to the increase in particle size as the aerosol travels andcools. In FIG. 5 , it can be seen that D1 is much greater than D2, andas such there is a greater chance that the aerosol generated at heatingelement 24 a by portion 44 a has a decreased aerosol amount/volume whenit exits the outlet 28 of device 2 as compared to aerosol generated atheating element 24 f by portion 44 f, for example. Equally, aerosolgenerated at heating elements 24 c and 24 d by portions 44 c and 44 dmay have a greater chance of a decreased amount of aerosol exiting theoutlet as compared to aerosol generated at heating elements 24 e and 24f by portions 44 e and 44 f, but an a greater chance of an increasedamount of aerosol exiting the outlet 28 as compared to aerosol generatedat heating elements 24 a and 24 b by portions 44 a and 44 b. This effectmay be much more prominent when the number of heating elements increases(e.g., to a two by six array).

The distances D1 and D2 may be assessed with respect to a common pointlocated in the outlet 28. For example, the common point may be thecenter of the cross-sectional area defined by the outlet 28.

As such the inventors have proposed a device 2 for generating aerosolfrom an article 4 comprising portions of aerosol generating material 44,the device comprising a receptacle 25 for receiving the article 4, anoutlet 28 fluidly coupled to the receptacle 25, at least one aerosolgenerating component 24 configured to perform an aerosolzsation process(i.e., a process by which aerosol may be generated from the aerosolgenerating material, e.g., heating) on one or more of the portions ofaerosol generating material 44 when the article 4 is received in thereceptacle, and control circuitry for controlling the aerosol generatingcomponent 44. Additionally, the control circuitry 23 is configured tocause the at least one aerosol generating component 24 to generate anamount of aerosol from a respective portion of aerosol generatingmaterial 44 based on the distance of the respective portion of aerosolgenerating material 44 from the outlet 28.

In this way, the amount of aerosol generated from a respective portionof aerosol generating material 44 can be set so as to compensate for theloss of aerosol due to condensation as the aerosol travels to the outlet28.

In other words, the aerosol generating component 24 is configured togenerate an amount of aerosol from the respective portion of aerosolgenerating material 44 such that, regardless of distance of therespective portion of aerosol generating material 44 from the outlet 28,a substantially constant amount of aerosol passes through the outlet 28.Accordingly, the user can be provided with a more consistent inhalationexperience.

In this regard, it should be appreciated here that by the expression “amore consistent inhalation experience” is not necessarily meant tosuggest that each puff in a session is the same in taste or theproportion of constituents that are delivered, although this is notexcluded.

On the one hand, the article 4 may comprise portions of aerosolgenerating material which have the same formulation/composition and maybe aerosolized in accordance with the “sequential mode” of activation.In this case, in accordance with the principles of the presentdisclosure, each portion of aerosol generating material 44 isaerosolized by an amount depending on the distance from the outlet 28such that the amount of aerosol exiting the outlet 28 is substantiallythe same when measured using a simulated standard inhalation (e.g., inaccordance with the Coresta Recommended Method 81, CRM 81). In thiscase, each sequential activation provides substantially the same amountof aerosol exiting the outlet 28.

On the other hand, if the article 4 comprises portions of differentaerosol generating material, such that the aerosol may be customizableas described above, then the principles of the present disclosure areapplied with respect to the aerosol generating material portions of thesame type. In other words, for a given type of aerosol generatingmaterial (e.g., a nicotine rich amorphous solid), then the device 2 isconfigured to output a consistent amount of aerosol generated from thatportion regardless of the distance of that portion from the outlet 28.In these implementations, the total aerosol quantity may vary (e.g.,because other portions of aerosol generating materials aresimultaneously heated). In other words, the amount of aerosol thatcontributes to the total aerosol that exits the outlet 28 is thesubstantially the same, and hence the delivery from that particularportion is consistent.

The amount of aerosol generated based on the distance of the portion ofaerosol generating material from the outlet is likely to depend on themagnitude of the distances involved, the type of material, and thetarget aerosol to output. However, in some implementations, the increasein aerosol amount to be output may be no greater than 50%, no greaterthan 40%, no greater than 30%, no greater than 20% or no greater than10% of the target aerosol amount to be output.

With reference to FIG. 5 , it should be appreciated that in mostinstances, the control circuitry 23 will be configured to cause theaerosol generating component 24 to generate an increasing amount ofaerosol from the respective portion of aerosol generating material 44the further away the respective portion of aerosol generating material44 is located from the outlet 28. Accordingly, by generating moreaerosol from a portion of aerosol generating material that is furtheraway from the outlet 28, there is a greater chance that relatively moreof the aerosol being transported will arrive at the outlet 28. In otherwords, more aerosol is generated to compensate for the loss in aerosolas the aerosol travels to the outlet.

Additionally or alternatively, depending on the specifics of the system1, only some of the portions of aerosol generating material may beaerosolized based on the distance from the outlet 28. For example, itmay be found empirically that for a given system 1 the greatest effectof the distance from the outlet 28 is for the portions of aerosolgenerating that are furthest from the outlet 28, i.e., portions 44 a and44 b (corresponding to heating elements 24 a and 24 b). That is, forexample, the portions 44 c to 44 f when aerosolized produce a similaramount of aerosol when exiting the outlet 28 despite being at differentdistances from the outlet 28, whereas the portions 44 a and 44 b areaerosolized the amount of aerosol generated may decrease by say 20% ascompared to portions 44 c to 44 f. Accordingly, the control circuitry 23may be arranged to cause aerosolization of some portions of aerosolgenerating material according to a common aerosolization/heatingprofile, while the aerosolization/heating profiles of the remainingportions of aerosol generating material are set according to thedistance of the portion from the outlet 28.

While it has been discussed that the portions further from the outlet 28are arranged to be aerosolized or heated more to generate more aerosol,it should equally be appreciated that the control circuitry 23 may bearranged to generate relatively less aerosol from portions of aerosolgenerating material that are closer to the outlet 28.

It should be appreciated that the amount of additional aerosol generatedmay not be exactly the same as the amount of aerosol lost. For example,suppose 4 mg of aerosol is generated from a portion of aerosolgenerating material and 1 mg of the aerosol is lost as the aerosoltravels to the outlet 28. Controlling the aerosol generating componentto generating 5 mg of aerosol from the same portion 44 may notnecessarily lead to 4 mg of aerosol being output at the outlet 28. Inpractical terms, it is likely that the losses incurred will beproportional to the amount of aerosol generated. Taking the aboveexample, of the 4 mg generated, 25% is lost when the aerosol istransported to the outlet 28. Hence, when increasing the amount ofaerosol generated to 5 mg, the losses may still be 25% which leads to3.75 mg arriving at the outlet 28.

More generally speaking, the control circuitry 23 is configured to causethe aerosol generating component 24 to generate an amount of aerosolfrom the portion of aerosol generating material 44 based on a functionof the distance of the portion of the aerosol generating material 44from the outlet 28.

The function may be found empirically by testing a number of portions ofaerosol generating material 44 to determine how the aerosol loss varieswith the distance from the outlet. It should be appreciated that thefunction may also be dependent on the geometry of the receptacle and/orthe air flow path in general. To a first approximation, the relationshipbetween aerosol generated and distance may be linear. For example, theamount of additional aerosol to be generated per mm increase in distancemay be set to e.g., 0.01 mg/mm.

In the implementations described above, the aerosol generatingcomponents are heating elements 24 arranged to heat the portions ofaerosol generating material. When looking to adjust the amount ofaerosol generated from a portion of aerosol generating material using aheating element 24, one can adjust the temperature to which the heatingelement 24 is to be raised and/or one can adjust the time for which theaerosol generating material is heated for.

That is, in some implementations, the control circuitry 23 is configuredto set the operational temperature for the at least one heating element24 based on the distance of the respective portion of aerosol generatingmaterial from the outlet 28. The operational temperature may be definedas the target temperature to which the heating element 24 is controlledto reach. In other words, a power supplied to the heating element 24 isset such that the power is sufficient to cause the heating element 24 toreach the target temperature. Increasing the target temperatureessentially increases the amount of energy that is transferred to theaerosol generating material. However, in most implementations, an upperlimit to the target operational temperature is imposed, as heating thematerial above the upper limit may cause the aerosol generating material44 to char or burn.

Additionally, or alternatively, in some implementations, controlcircuitry 23 is configured to set the heating duration for the at leastone heating element 24 based on the distance of the respective portionof aerosol generating material from the outlet 28. The heating duration(i.e., the time the heating element is active for) may also be set toalter the amount of aerosol that is generated, whereby a longer heatingduration generally leads to relatively more aerosol being generated. Asdescribed above, the heating elements 24 may be switched off either whenthe signaling from one or both of the inhalation sensor 30 or touchsensitive panel 29 stops or when a predetermined time from receiving thesignaling elapses. However, in accordance with the aboveimplementations, the control unit 23 may cause the heating element 24 toactivate for a longer period of time, e.g., by causing the heatingelement to heat beyond the predetermined threshold (or alternatively, byincreasing the threshold), or to continue to heat beyond the signalingstopping. This technique may also be combined with an adjustment inoperational temperature, as described above.

With reference to FIG. 5 , the heating elements 24 of the describedimplementation are arranged in an array, in this case a 2×3 array.Accordingly, as can be derived from FIG. 5, while there are six heatingelements, it can be seen that relative to the single outlet 28 (which isarranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 25),there are three different path lengths between the heating elements 24(and hence aerosol generating portions 44) and the outlet 28. Two areshown by arrows D1 and D2, while the third is the distance betweenheating element 24 c (or heating element 24 d) and the outlet 28.

Hence, in this implementation, there may be three different amounts ofaerosol that can be generated by the aerosol generating material for agiven amount of aerosol to be output at the outlet 28. Accordingly, inthis implementation, the control circuitry 23 is configured to cause theheating elements 24 to activate to generate one of three differentlevels of aerosol. More specifically, heating elements 24 a and 24 b maybe set at a first level to output a first amount of aerosol; heatingelements 24 c and 24 d may be set at a second level to output a secondamount of aerosol (lower than the first amount of aerosol); and heatingelements 24 e and 24 f may be set at a third level to output a thirdamount of aerosol (lower than the second amount).

More generally, the heating elements and/or portions of aerosolgenerating material may arranged in an N×M array with respect to thesingle outlet 28, where N signifies the number of rows and M signifiesthe number of columns (when viewing the array as in FIG. 5 ). Thecontrol circuitry 23 is configured to cause the heating elements 24 togenerate X different amounts of aerosol (i.e., to operate at one of Xdifferent power levels and/or to operate for one of X different heaterdurations), where X is determined according to the following equation:

$X = {\frac{{2N} + 1 + \left( {- 1} \right)^{N + 1}}{4} \times {M.}}$

In addition, while it has been discussed above that the operation of theheating elements 24 may be adjusted to account for the distance of theportions 44 from the outlet, the portions of aerosol generating materialmay themselves also be altered. For example, in some implementations,the thickness and/or areal extent may be altered. The thickness may beincreased for portions that are further from the outlet, such that whenthe portion is heated to a higher temperature or for a longer period,more starting material which is to be aerosolized is present. Equally,the areal extent of the portion of aerosol generating material (andpotentially the areal extent of the eating element) may also beincreased for similar reasons. Accordingly, the increased temperatureand increased heating duration may lead to relatively more aerosol beingoutput.

Hence, above is described a device 2 which is able to compensate foraerosol lost during transport from the site of aerosol generation (i.e.,at or above the aerosol generating portion 44) by adjusting the degreeof aerosolization that is provided by the aerosol generating componenton a portion of aerosol generating material based on the distance fromthe outlet 28.

The above assumes that there is one common outlet through which theaerosol is directed when a user inhales on the device 2. However, theprinciples of the present disclosure are equally applicable to deviceshaving multiple outlets. While in this situation the method is morecomplex, the principles are nevertheless the same. In most devices, theuser will inhale on one mouthpiece end 26/one outlet 28 at any giventime. The control unit may be configured to determine which outlet iscurrently in use and adjust the degree of aerosolization accordingly.

Additionally, while it has been described above that the mouthpiece 26forms a part of the outer housing 21 and/or is coupled to the outerhousing 21, it should be appreciated that in some implementations themouthpiece 26 may form a part of the article 4. This may particularly bethe case when the article 4 comprises a chamber through which air and/oraerosol may pass, where the chamber includes the aerosol generatingmaterial. In these implementations, the article 4 is placed into thereceptacle 25 and protrudes from the receptacle 25 such that themouthpiece of the article extends from the aerosol provision device 2.In these instances, the receptacle 25 comprises an opening through whichthe mouthpiece 26 protrudes. The opening in these implementations may bereferred to as the outlet 28 of the device 2, and hence the controlcircuitry 23 can be configured to adjust the heating profile of aportion of aerosol generating material on the basis of the distance fromthe outlet 28 of the device 2 as described above.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view through a schematic representation ofan aerosol provision system 200 in accordance with another embodiment ofthe disclosure. The aerosol provision system 200 includes componentsthat are broadly similar to those described in relation to FIG. 1 ;however, the reference numbers have been increased by 200. Forefficiency, the components having similar reference numbers should beunderstood to be broadly the same as their counterparts in FIGS. 1 and2A to 2C unless otherwise stated.

The aerosol provision device 202 comprises an outer housing 221, a powersource 222, control circuitry 223, induction work coils 224 a, areceptacle 225, a mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet228, a touch-sensitive panel 229, an inhalation sensor 230, and an endof use indicator 231.

The aerosol generating article 204 comprises a carrier component 242,aerosol generating material 244, and susceptor elements 244 b, as shownin more detail in FIGS. 7A to 7C. FIG. 7A is a top-down view of thearticle 4, FIG. 7B is an end-on view along the longitudinal (length)axis of the article 204, and FIG. 7C is a side-on view along the widthaxis of the article 204.

FIGS. 6 and 7 represent an aerosol provision system 200 which usesinduction to heat the aerosol generating material 244 to generate anaerosol for inhalation.

In the described implementation, the aerosol generating component 224 isformed of two parts; namely, induction work coils 224 a which arelocated in the aerosol provision device 202 and susceptors 224 b whichare located in the aerosol generating article 204. Accordingly, in thisdescribed implementation, each aerosol generating component 224comprises elements that are distributed between the aerosol generatingarticle 204 and the aerosol provision device 202.

Induction heating is a process in which an electrically-conductiveobject, referred to as a susceptor, is heated by penetrating the objectwith a varying magnetic field. The process is described by Faraday's lawof induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise anelectromagnet and a device for passing a varying electrical current,such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When theelectromagnet and the object to be heated are suitably relativelypositioned so that the resultant varying magnetic field produced by theelectromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents aregenerated inside the object. The object has a resistance to the flow ofelectrical currents. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated inthe object, their flow against the electrical resistance of the objectcauses the object to be heated. This process is called Joule, ohmic, orresistive heating.

A susceptor is material that is heatable by penetration with a varyingmagnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The heatingmaterial may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetrationthereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of theheating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so thatpenetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetichysteresis heating of the heating material. The heating material may beboth electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the heating materialis heatable by both heating mechanisms.

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of amagnetic material is heated by penetrating the object with a varyingmagnetic field. A magnetic material can be considered to comprise manyatomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic fieldpenetrates such material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magneticfield. Therefore, when a varying magnetic field, such as an alternatingmagnetic field, for example as produced by an electromagnet, penetratesthe magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changeswith the varying applied magnetic field. Such magnetic dipolereorientation causes heat to be generated in the magnetic material.

When an object is both electrically-conductive and magnetic, penetratingthe object with a varying magnetic field can cause both Joule heatingand magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Moreover, the use ofmagnetic material can strengthen the magnetic field, which can intensifythe Joule heating.

In the described implementation, the susceptors 224 b are formed from analuminum foil, although it should be appreciated that other metallicand/or electrically conductive materials may be used in otherimplementations. As seen in FIG. 7 , the carrier component 242 comprisesa number of susceptors 224 b which correspond in size and location tothe discrete portions of aerosol generating material 244 disposed on thesurface of the carrier component 242. That is, the susceptors 224 b havea similar width and length to the discrete portions of aerosolgenerating material 244.

The susceptors are shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However,in other implementations, the susceptors 224 b may be placed on thesurface of the carrier component 242.

The aerosol provision device 202 comprises a plurality of induction workcoils 224 a shown schematically in FIG. 6 . The work coils 224 a areshown adjacent the receptacle 225, and are generally flat coils arrangedsuch that the rotational axis about which a given coil is wound extendsinto the receptacle 225 and is broadly perpendicular to the plane of thecarrier component 242 of the article 204. The exact windings are notshown in FIG. 6 and it should be appreciated that any suitable inductioncoil may be used.

The control circuitry 223 comprises a mechanism to generate analternating current which is passed to any one or more of the inductioncoils 224 a. The alternating current generates an alternating magneticfield, as described above, which in turn causes the correspondingsusceptor(s) 224 b to heat up. The heat generated by the susceptor(s)224 b is transferred to the portions of aerosol generating material 244accordingly.

As described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2A to 2C, the controlcircuitry 223 is configured to supply current to the work coils 224 a inresponse to receiving signaling from the touch sensitive panel 229and/or the inhalation sensor 230. Any of the techniques for selectingwhich heating elements 24 are heated by control circuitry 23 asdescribed previously may analogously be applied to selecting which workcoils 224 a are energized (and thus which portions of aerosol generatingmaterial 244 are subsequently heated) in response to receiving signalingfrom the touch sensitive panel 229 and/or the inhalation sensor 230 bycontrol circuitry 223 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation.

Although the above has described an induction heating aerosol provisionsystem where the work coils 224 a and susceptors 224 b are distributedbetween the article 204 and device 202, an induction heating aerosolprovision system may be provided where the work coils 224 a andsusceptors 224 b are located solely within the device 202. For example,with reference to FIG. 6 , the susceptors 224 b may be provided abovethe induction work coils 224 a and arranged such that the susceptors 224b contact the lower surface of the carrier component 242 (in ananalogous way to the aerosol provision system 1 shown in FIG. 1 ).

Thus, FIG. 6 describes a more concrete implementation where inductionheating may be used in an aerosol provision device 202 to generateaerosol for user inhalation to which the techniques described in thepresent disclosure may be applied.

Although the above has described a system in which an array of aerosolgenerating components 24 (e.g., heater elements) are provided toenergize the discrete portions of aerosol generating material, in otherimplementations, the article 4 and/or an aerosol generating component 24may be configured to move relative to one another. That is, there may befewer aerosol generating components 24 than discrete portions of aerosolgenerating material 44 provided on the carrier component 42 of thearticle 4, such that relative movement of the article 4 and aerosolgenerating components 24 is required in order to be able to individuallyenergize each of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material44. For example, a movable heating element 24 may be provided within thereceptacle 25 such that the heating element 24 may move relative to thereceptacle 25. In this way, the movable heating element 24 can betranslated (e.g., in the width and length directions of the carriercomponent 42) such that the heating element 24 can be aligned withrespective ones of the discrete portions of aerosol generating material44. This approach may reduce the number of aerosol generating components42 required while still offering a similar user experience.

Although the above has described implementations where discrete,spatially distinct portions of aerosol generating material 44 aredeposited on a carrier component 42, it should be appreciated that inother implementations the aerosol generating material may not beprovided in discrete, spatially distinct portions but instead beprovided as a continuous sheet of aerosol generating material 44. Inthese implementations, certain regions of the sheet of aerosolgenerating material 44 may be selectively heated to generate aerosol inbroadly the same manner as described above. However, regardless ofwhether or not the portions are spatially distinct, the presentdisclosure described heating (or otherwise aerosolizing) portions ofaerosol generating material 44. In particular, a region (correspondingto a portion of aerosol generating material) may be defined on thecontinuous sheet of aerosol generating material based on the dimensionsof the heating element 24 (or more specifically a surface of the heatingelement 24 designed to increase in temperature). In this regard, thecorresponding area of the heating element 24 when projected onto thesheet of aerosol generating material may be considered to define aregion or portion of aerosol generating material. In accordance with thepresent disclosure, each region or portion of aerosol generatingmaterial may have a mass no greater than 20 mg, however the totalcontinuous sheet may have a mass which is greater than 20 mg.

Although the above has described implementations where the device 2 canbe configured or operated using the touch-sensitive panel 29 mounted onthe device 2, the device 2 may instead be configured or controlledremotely. For example, the control circuitry 23 may be provided with acorresponding communication circuitry (e.g., Bluetooth) which enablesthe control circuitry 23 to communicate with a remote device such as asmartphone. Accordingly, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may, in effect, beimplemented using an App or the like running on the smartphone. Thesmartphone may then transmit user inputs or configurations to thecontrol circuitry 23, and the control circuitry 23 may be configured tooperate on the basis of the received inputs or configurations.

Although the above has described implementations in which an aerosol isgenerated by energizing (e.g., heating) aerosol generating material 44which is subsequently inhaled by a user, it should be appreciated insome implementations that the generated aerosol may be passed through orover an aerosol modifying component to modify one or more properties ofthe aerosol before being inhaled by a user. For example, the aerosolprovision device 2, 202 may comprise an air permeable insert (not shown)which is inserted in the airflow path downstream of the aerosolgenerating material 44 (for example, the insert may be positioned in theoutlet 28). The insert may include a material which alters any one ormore of the flavor, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration,etc. of the aerosol as it passes through the insert before entering theuser's mouth. For example, the insert may include tobacco or treatedtobacco. Such systems may be referred to as hybrid systems. The insertmay include any suitable aerosol modifying material, which may encompassthe aerosol generating materials described above.

Although it has been described above that the heating elements 24 arearranged to provide heat to aerosol generating material (or portionsthereof) at an operational temperature at which aerosol is generatedfrom the portion of aerosol generating material, in someimplementations, the heating elements 24 are arranged to pre-heatportions of the aerosol generating material to a pre-heat temperature(which is lower than the operational temperature). At the pre-heattemperature, a lower amount or no aerosol is generated when the portionis heated at the pre-heat temperature. In particular, in someimplementations, the control circuitry is configured to supplypower/energy prior to the first predetermined period starting (i.e.,prior to receiving the signaling signifying a user's intention to inhaleaerosol, as in step S1 above). However, a lower amount of energy isrequired to raise the temperature of the aerosol generating materialfrom the pre-heat temperature to the operational temperature, thusincreasing the responsiveness of the system but at an increased totalenergy consumption. This may be particular suitable for relativelythicker portions of aerosol generating material, e.g., havingthicknesses above 400 μm, which require relatively larger amounts ofenergy to be supplied in order to reach the operational temperature. Insuch implementations, the energy consumption (e.g., from the powersource 22) may be comparably higher, however.

Although the above has described implementations in which the aerosolprovision device 2 comprises an end of use indicator 31, it should beappreciated that the end of use indicator 31 may be provided by anotherdevice remote from the aerosol provision device 2. For example, in someimplementations, the control circuitry 23 of the aerosol provisiondevice 2 may comprise a communication mechanism which allows datatransfer between the aerosol provision device 2 and a remote device suchas a smartphone or smartwatch, for example. In these implementations,when the control circuitry 23 determines that the article 4 has reachedits end of use, the control circuitry 23 is configured to transmit asignal to the remote device, and the remote device is configured togenerate the alert signal (e.g., using the display of a smartphone).Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating the alertsignal may be used as described above.

In addition, when the portions of aerosol generating material areprovided on a carrier component 42, the portions may, in someimplementations, include weakened regions, e.g., through holes or areasof relatively thinner aerosol generating material, in a directionapproximately perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 42.This may be the case when the hottest part of the aerosol generatingmaterial is the area directly contacting the carrier component (in otherwords, in scenarios where the heat is applied primarily to the surfaceof the aerosol generating material that contacts the carrier component42). Accordingly, the through holes may provide channels for thegenerated aerosol to escape and be released to the environment/the airflow through the device 2 rather than causing a potential build-up ofaerosol between the carrier component 42 and the aerosol generatingmaterial 44. Such build-up of aerosol can reduce the heating efficiencyof the system as the build-up of aerosol can, in some implementations,cause a lifting of the aerosol generating material from the carriercomponent 42 thus decreasing the efficiency of the heat transfer to theaerosol generating material. Each portion of aerosol generating materialmay be provided with one of more weakened regions as appropriate.

In some implementations, the article 4 may comprise an identifier, suchas a readable bar code or an RFID tag or the like, and the aerosolprovision device 2 comprises a corresponding reader. When the article isinserted into the receptacle 25 of the device 2, the device 2 may beconfigured to read the identifier on the article 4. The controlcircuitry 23 may be configured to either recognize the presence of thearticle 4 (and thus permit heating and/or reset an end of lifeindicator) or identify the type and/or the location of the portions ofthe aerosol generating material relative to the article 4. This mayaffect which portions the control circuitry 23 aerosolizes and/or theway in which the portions are aerosolized, e.g., via adjusting theaerosol generation temperature and/or heating duration. Any suitabletechnique for recognizing the article 4 may be employed.

Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision device forgenerating aerosol from an article comprising portions of aerosolgenerating material. The device comprises a receptacle for receiving thearticle comprising portions of aerosol generating material, and anoutlet fluidly coupled to the receptacle. The at least one aerosolgenerating component is configured to perform an aerosolization processon one or more of the portions of aerosol generating material when thearticle is received in the receptacle. The device further comprisescontrol circuitry for controlling the aerosol generating component. Thecontrol circuitry is configured to cause the at least one aerosolgenerating component to generate an amount of aerosol from a respectiveportion of aerosol generating material based on the distance of therespective portion of aerosol generating material from the outlet.Accordingly the device can be enable to account for loss of the aerosolduring transition to the user in dependence on the relative location ofthe aerosol generation. Also described is an aerosol provision systemand a method for generating aerosol.

While the above described embodiments have in some respects focused onsome specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciatedthe same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems usingother technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which variousaspects of the aerosol provision system function are not directlyrelevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosureshows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimedinvention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of thedisclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and arenot exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist inunderstanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to beunderstood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features,structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to beconsidered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims orlimitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments maybe utilized and modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consistof, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosedelements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other thanthose specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciatedthat features of the dependent claims may be combined with features ofthe independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly setout in the claims. The disclosure may include other inventions notpresently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

1. An aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from an articlecomprising portions of aerosol generating material, the devicecomprising: a receptacle for receiving the article comprising portionsof aerosol generating material; an outlet fluidly coupled to thereceptacle; at least one aerosol generating component configured toperform an aerosolization process on one or more of the portions ofaerosol generating material when the article is received in thereceptacle; and control circuitry for controlling the aerosol generatingcomponent, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the atleast one aerosol generating component to generate an amount of aerosolfrom a respective portion of aerosol generating material based on thedistance of the respective portion of aerosol generating material fromthe outlet.
 2. The aerosol provision device of claim 1, wherein thecontrol circuitry is configured to generate an amount of aerosol fromthe respective portion of aerosol generating material such that,regardless of distance of the respective portion of aerosol generatingmaterial from the outlet, a substantially constant amount of aerosolpasses through the outlet.
 3. The aerosol provision device of claim 1,wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the aerosolgenerating component to generate an increasing amount of aerosol fromthe respective portion of aerosol generating material the further awaythe respective portion is located from the outlet.
 4. The aerosolprovision device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configuredto cause the aerosol generating component to generate an amount ofaerosol from the portion of aerosol generating material based on afunction of the distance of the portion of the aerosol generatingmaterial from the outlet.
 5. The aerosol provision device of claim 1,wherein the at least one aerosol generating component is at least oneheating element arranged to heat the portions of aerosol generatingmaterial.
 6. The aerosol provision device of claim 5, wherein thecontrol circuitry is configured to set the operational temperature forthe at least one heating element based on the distance of the respectiveportion of aerosol generating material from the outlet.
 7. The aerosolprovision device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configuredto set the operational temperature of the heating elements closer to theoutlet to be lower than the operational temperature of the heatingelements further from the outlet.
 8. The aerosol provision device ofclaim 5, wherein the control circuitry is configured to set the heatingduration for the at least one heating element based on the distance ofthe respective portion of aerosol generating material from the outlet.9. The aerosol provision device of claim 1, wherein the portions ofaerosol generating material are arranged in an N×M array with respect tothe outlet when received in the receptacle, and wherein the controlcircuitry is configured to cause the aerosol generating component togenerate X different amounts of aerosol, where X is determined accordingto:$X = {\frac{{2N} + 1 + \left( {- 1} \right)^{N + 1}}{4} \times {M.}}$10. The aerosol provision device of claim 1, wherein the at least oneaerosol generating components comprises a plurality of aerosolgenerating components arranged in an N×M array, and wherein the controlcircuitry is configured to cause the each of the plurality of aerosolgenerating components to operate at one of X different power levels,where X is determined according to:$X = {\frac{{2N} + 1 + \left( {- 1} \right)^{N + 1}}{4} \times {M.}}$11. An aerosol provision system, the system comprising the aerosolprovision device according to claim 1 and further comprising an articlecomprising portions of aerosol generating material.
 12. The aerosolprovision system of claim 11, wherein each portion of aerosol generatingmaterial is substantially the same.
 13. The aerosol provision system ofclaim 11, wherein the properties of the aerosol generating materialdiffer based on the distance from the outlet when the aerosol generatingmaterial is received in the receptacle.
 14. The aerosol provision systemof claim 11, wherein the aerosol generating material is an amorphoussolid.
 15. A method of generating aerosol using an aerosol generatingdevice, the method comprising: determining the distance between aportion of aerosol generating material and an outlet on the devicethrough which generated aerosol can be inhaled by a user; setting anamount of aerosol to be generated from the portion of the aerosolgenerating material based on the determined distance; and generating anaerosol from the portion of aerosol generating material.
 16. An aerosolprovision means for generating aerosol from an article comprisingportions of aerosol generating material, the means comprising: areceiving means for receiving the article comprising portions of aerosolgenerating material; an outlet means fluidly coupled to the receivingmeans; at least one aerosol generating means configured to perform anaerosolization process on one or more of the portions of aerosolgenerating material when the article is received in the receiving means;and control means for controlling the aerosol generating means, whereinthe control means is configured to cause the at least one aerosolgenerating means to generate an amount of aerosol from a respectiveportion of aerosol generating material based on the distance of therespective portion of aerosol generating material from the outlet means.